Once again, the federal budget turns a blind eye to Canada’s military needs

A Canadian soldier provides security as medics assist German troops during a medical evacuation demonstration on the United Nations base in Gao, Mali, on Dec. 22, 2018. Adrian Wyld/CP

Again, the federal budget turns a blind eye to Canada’s military needs. And is that last week’s federal budget offered relatively modest expenses with specific financing after years of spending by a government that seemed to believe that the deficit will resolve itself.

Once again, and very unfortunately, the Canadian Armed Forces escaped what might be remembered as the fanfare when Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan published the review of the Liberal defense policy in 2017: “Strong, secure, committed “

As is well known, they were at least more than six months late, this provoked a feeling among defense analysts and most of the journalists that the Liberals had to deliver a document that suggested a serious resolution.

Promises and more promises

Notably, for his time, Sajjan promised a huge 70 percent increase in defense spending, pledging to raise funds from $ 32.7 billion to $ 32.7 billion. Ships, combat support vehicles and 88 combat aircraft would be replaced through “open and transparent competition.”

However, there was a great disclaimer. All this would happen during the next decade, assuming that the realities of 2017 would remain constant during this period. Even so, there is still no indication that the Liberals took the plan seriously. Since in fact, they cut defense spending in 2018 and ignored it in 2019.

It is necessary to mention that the last prime minister who consistently financed the Canadian army was Louis St-Laurent. While all the successive administrations, liberal and conservative, have played in different degrees with defense spending.

Likewise, while capital acquisition projects that praise a capital acquisition project arise, other projects are forgotten. While they promise constant funding, they will squeeze the army at the first opportunity when a fiscal need arises elsewhere.